Summary:

• China has introduced the world’s first digital currency, based on computer code.
• The new currency, the digital yuan, will be issued and monitored by the China central bank.
• The digital yuan may give the Chinese government greater access to tracking both spenders and expenditures.
• Unlike credit cards and payment apps, which move money electronically, the digital yuan itself is legal tender.
• International market exchanges are currently based on the U.S. dollar.
• The digital yuan is just one byproduct of cryptocurrency expansion, which includes bitcoin.
• Thailand and Japan are also exploring entrance into the digital currency market. 

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Jordan Bans Publication of Royal Feud

• The country of Jordan has placed a ban on publication of reports having to do with Prince Hamza, the step sibling of King Abdullah. 
• The ban includes “all audiovisual media and social networks,” as reported by prosecutor general Hasan al-Abdallat, “as well as the publication of all images or video clips relating to this subject on pain of legal action.”
• The ban comes after Prince Hamza’s alleged anti-government claims against his sibling, forcing the military to place him on house arrest and run investigations on his statements which posed  “security and stability” threats. He has since taken back previous statements and pledged his obedience to the King. 

North Korea: First Major Country to Skip the 2021 Olympics

• With the ongoing global pandemic, North Korea has announced its plan to opt out of the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, being the second time since that the country will not attend. 
• North Korea continues to pledge that they haven’t seen a singular coronavirus case or death within their country, as a North Korean Professor Park Won Gon stated it was “unlikely the North would change its mind about the Games, given the low probability that it can secure enough vaccine to inoculate its population of 26 million by the time the events begin.”
• Japan continues to push through with their decision of hosting the Olympics on July 23rd, guaranteeing their undertaking of preventative measures to limit spread of the disease. 

Astra-Zeneca Vaccine Approval for Children paused for safety review

• A trial of the Oxford-Zeneca vaccine on children has paused, awaiting further information in response to rare cases of thrombosis/blood clotting that emerged among adults who received the dose.
• The pediatric clinical trial, consisting of approximately 300 volunteers, itself did not present major safety concerns as it seeks to evaluate the immunogenicity of the Oxford-Zeneca vaccine in children aged between 6 and 17.
• The halting of the trial follows concerns personally voiced by a European Medicines Agency official, stating a possible link between the dose and rare blood clots.
• Health officials still maintain the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has encouraged U.K. residents to obtain the shot whenever possible

International Monetary Fund forecasts strong economic recovery

• The International Monetary Fund has projected strong economic recoveries globally, as vaccine distributions bring closer end to pandemic.
• The organization predicts an estimated 5.1% growth for advanced economies, and 6.7% for developing economies in 2021.
• IMF’s chief economist Gita Gopinath advises vaccine rollouts are key to gaining economic recovery, while also highlighting the growing concerns of unequal distribution and access to vaccinations globally.

Russia’s Arctic Military Build-Up And “Super Weapon” Testing Raise Global Concerns

• Satellite images reveal massive military build-up by Russia in the Arctic, as the Kremlin attempts to assert dominance in the region.
• Melting ice in the Arctic may allow for future transit options across the frozen tundra, making the area a strategic corridor between the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and US.
• Both Russia and the US have expressed their interest in the region, with Pentagon press secretary John F. Kirby claiming that the US Department of Defense is “monitoring [the Arctic] very closely” and is committed to protecting “U.S. national security interests in the Arctic by upholding a rules-based order in the region”.
• Western officials and weapon experts are particularly concerned over reports of Russia’s Poseidon 2M39 torpedo, a “super-weapon” intended to operate unmanned on the sea floor with the capability of creating radioactive waves so powerful that target coastlines would be rendered uninhabitable for decades.

Nuclear Talks And Vessel Attacks Complicate US, Iran, and Israel Relations

• Israel and Iran have repeatedly accused each other of attacking one another’s sea vessels since attacks on both country’s ships began in late February.
• The series of attacks began around the same time US President Joe Biden announced his intent to revive the Iran Nuclear Deal, a move which Israel does not support.
• A report on Tuesday detailed a recent attack on an Iranian vessel by limpet mines in the Red Sea; Iran did not immediately respond to the news, however earlier in the day, before the incident was reported, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “Israel must continue to fend off Iranian belligerence” and “take action in the face of the fanatical regime in Iran, which simply threatens to wipe [Israel] off the face of the Earth.”
• Iran and the US began indirect nuclear talks in Vienna today which an EU diplomat considered to be “constructive”.